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Veteran Clarke makes history with long-awaited British Open title

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke wins golf's British Open for the first time in 21 attempts

The 42-year-old triumphs by three shots from Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson

He is the first player from his country to win golf's oldest tournament since 1947

The small nation has now produced three major champions in 13 months

(CNN) -- It was wet, cold and windy, and he hadn't been in contention to win golf's oldest tournament for 10 years, but Darren Clarke finally made the breakthrough at the British Open on Sunday.

Two decades after he first entered the season's third major event, the 42-year-old made history as he triumphed by three shots from Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson in its 140th staging at Royal St. George's in England.

Clarke, whose previous best finish was runner-up in 1997, lifted the coveted Claret Jug at his 21st attempt -- breaking the record of the tournament's previous longest wait, the 15-try streak that Zimbabwean Nick Price snapped in 1994.

He is the oldest British Open winner since Roberto de Vicenzo's 1967 victory aged 44, and the oldest of any major champion since 43-year-old Ben Crenshaw won the 1995 Masters.

"It's been a long and bumpy road, I have had some good things happen to me and some bad things, but I've had so much support from an awful lot of people," Clarke said at the prize-giving ceremony.

"I'd like to thank my parents and my fiancee Alison, and there's someone up there watching as well. To everybody, thank you very much."

Clarke became the third player from Northern Ireland to win a major title in the past 13 months, following Rory McIlroy's U.S. Open triumph last month and Graeme McDowell's success at the same tournament last year.

He is the first from his country to win the British Open since Fred Daly in 1947.

Clarke's agent Chubby Chandler now has three current major champions in his stable, with South African Charl Schwartzel winning the Masters in April before McIlroy's eight-shot triumph at Congressional.

Clarke has twice won World Golf Championship events, in 2003 and 2003, while he has finished second on the European Tour's money list three times.

He famously helped Europe win the Ryder Cup against the U.S. in 2006 -- his fifth appearance in the prestigious teams event -- a month after his wife Heather died from cancer.

Clarke dedicated his victory to his sons Tyrone and Conor, who were back in Northern Ireland where the family has returned after years living in London.

It's been a long and bumpy road. I have had some good things happen to me and some bad things, but I've had so much support --Darren Clarke